At-sea surveys confirm a North Atlantic biodiversity hotspot for Manx Shearwaters and other seabirds

Ashley Bennison (Coastal & Maritime Research, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Ireland) and Mark Jessopp have published in the journal Bird Study on seabird observations made in the North Atlantic, including of the Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus and Arctic or Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis. 

The paper's abstract follows: 

A number of tracking studies have [sic] shown an area of the North Atlantic, south of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, to be an important overwintering location for seabirds. We conducted seabird observations along a trans-Atlantic transect from Ireland to Canada in April 2014 to test the hypothesis that seabird species richness and abundance will peak in the area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  At-sea survey results agreed with previous tracking studies, highlighting the importance of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge area for seabirds.

Reference: 

Bennison, A. & Jessopp, M. 2015.  At-sea surveys confirm a North Atlantic biodiversity hotspot.  Bird Study DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2015.1011601.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer 25 April 2015